Evolution
by lastrequest
Summary: Sequel to Lifeline. Helen discovers the secret Nikola has been hiding from her, and Henry helps them track down the abnormal she has been searching for for three years.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

Hello all =D

A few of you said you would like a sequel to my story 'Lifeline' – and with the wait for the return of Sanctuary, I thought now would be as good a time as any to publish it… so here's chapter one.

New readers – I'd strongly recommend you read Lifeline before this story, as it is in the same time frame (before Revelations, S1) – and therefore develops the characters in a different direction to the actual show.

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**Chapter 1**

"Are you alright?"

Helen offered Nikola a smile.

"I'm fine."

He eyed her with disbelief. She hadn't slept properly for weeks, and he wondered for a moment if he was doing the right thing in not telling her about his conversation with Anya before she left.

"Sorry,"

Helen sighed, putting her work down and moving over to him.

"No, no I'm sorry. There is something I wanted to talk to you about but, just not now. There's so much to do."

"Okay." He nodded in acceptance. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Ah, not really. I was thinking of taking Ashley out for lunch actually."

She found herself playing with his collar idly.

"You seem closer."

She smiled more genuinely.

"Yes, I definitely think we are. For so long there seemed to be this… barrier between us. But since everything that happened," she shrugged, smoothing both hands down his chest.

"Well, she's been with Druitt for the last few hours, so she'll probably appreciate the break. I know I would."

"Hmm," she kissed him lightly. "I'll see you when I get back."

.

Ashley giggled in her victory, giving her dad a shy smile.

"Well, you have learnt from the best."

She offered him a hand up from the floor and he accepted it graciously.

"Were you even _trying_ to block me?"

"Of course. Your combat skills will not improve if I pander to your ego, Ashley,"

She continued to look very pleased with herself, then her gaze moved over his shoulder.

"Oh, hey mom,"

"Ashley,"

She walked closer to them, despite still feeling anxious about John's presence there.

"Did you see me totally wipe the floor with dad?"

John beamed, but Helen's uneasy look at Ashley's slip of the tongue didn't go unnoticed, despite how well she tried to hide it for their daughter's benefit.

"The improvement is remarkable." She offered, avoiding John's gaze and changing the subject. "I thought you might like to go for lunch?"

"Yeah, yeah I'd really like that. I'll just go change."

"Okay,"

Ashley seemed to half bounce out of the room. They'd started doing more normal mother-daughter things together, at Ashley's request. Lunch was now a priority at least once a week. She felt like she was getting to know her mom again, and she hadn't realised just how much she'd missed her company.

Helen shifted awkwardly, then turned to leave.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

She turned back, taken off guard by his question; but when she looked at him she couldn't help but look with sympathy.

"It's not that simple, John,"

"I could make it up to you. I'm better now. You must be able to see the change in me, it's been over a month."

"A month isn't that long. You-"

"Things were so good between us once. You must remember?"

She sighed.

"Yes, but it would never be the same. It _could_ never be the same. Too much has happened." She gently reached out to him, resting one hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

John nodded with acceptance, but didn't back away from her.

"Can you grant me a single wish at least?"

"What?"

"We never parted… amicably. I deeply regret the reason. I regret the effect my behaviour had on you, and the others."

She removed her hand now, seeing he was intent on persisting.

"You were murdering women, John. How could I possibly marry you?"

"I know." He nodded. "Honestly, I understand your motive. But, now that things are… better… can you give me a proper goodbye? One I can look back at with fondness?"

His eyes drifted down to her mouth, and he saw her falter.

"John-"

"Just one last kiss, Helen. Please." When she struggled to form a response, he decided to provoke her. "Unless you're concerned you might feel more than you want to?"

His provocation worked, and against all her better judgment, she would give him his last kiss.

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Nikola rounded the corner, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw John leaning in to kiss Helen, and she wasn't stopping it.

He felt suffocated by sudden despair, that the woman he had loved for over a century, the woman that had finally given herself over to him and committed to him _only_, was suddenly back in _his_ arms.

He had to physically cover his mouth to prevent himself releasing a sound of anguish at the discovery, and whether or not the moment was out of context, and whether or not he wanted to believe there was good reason for this, he couldn't bring himself to stay any longer, and fled.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the lovely reviews =D Here's the next chappy!

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**Chapter 2**

When John pulled back, he was surprised to see Helen looked… relieved.

She offered him an awkward smile.

"You've had your closure John."

"I was hoping you might have had a revelation,"

"I did," she smiled more genuinely, "but surely I needn't explain it to you?"

"You really can't ever feel the same for me, can you,"

"No." her expression softened, and she gave him a sympathetic look.

"No." he whispered, defeated. He misinterpreted her look as one of pity, and it stirred something angry and malevolent inside of him.

Helen wasn't about to reveal to him the cause of her relief. For a moment she _had_ been afraid he still had a hold on her heart, but the kiss had proven otherwise. In some ways, it had given her closure too, and a realisation that she truly had devoted herself to Nikola.

"I'm in love with Nikola," she added finally, hoping he would accept it, and that maybe he and Nikola could stop their feuding now.

She wasn't aware of the bitterness her statement had awakened inside John; but then, he was a master at hiding things and this was no exception. He couldn't let her see how he was feeling. He couldn't let her see her words had made him feel like she was beating him when he was already down. So instead of reacting negatively, he kept his expression calm, and neutral. He feigned acceptance, forcing a small smile, then leaving.

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When Helen returned from lunch with Ashley and didn't see Nikola for the remainder of the day, she started to worry. She'd told him she wanted to speak with him about something that was troubling her, but he still hadn't come to bed. It was unusual. He was usually waiting for her, not the other way around.

But then, she supposed he may be working on something in his assigned lab, knowing full well how immersed he could become in whatever project he had going. In which case it wasn't entirely improbable he would be working for several more hours.

On her way to his lab, she could hear it had started to rain, and moved to shut a nearby window. It was pure chance that she noticed a figure in the gardens who could be no-one other than the man in question.

She gave no thought for a coat, instead heading with new found determination to his side, feeling more and more unnerved by the stillness with which he stood as the rain battered on and around him.

"Nikola?" she asked softly, but gained no response. She moved closer, "Nikola, where have you been all day? Come inside, please."

.

Again, no response.

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She knew she was close enough for him to hear her, even if it was raining so heavily, he could always sense her closeness.

"Nikola, you're worrying me, what's the matter?" she asked, reaching tenderly for his arm. But he shrugged her off as though her touch had burned him, and a sense of dread suddenly overtook her entire being. She hesitated for only a moment, before moving around to stand in front of him so that he had no choice but to acknowledge her.

His eyes moved ever so slightly across to meet her gaze, but she couldn't read him. She moved closer to kiss him, hoping to seduce him out of his silence; but for the first time in all her years of knowing him, _he_ refused _her_ the kiss.

"Nikola," she snapped, her fear being overwritten by her growing frustration. "Will you _please_, talk to me," she appealed, reaching to him but again being rejected any touch or intimacy, as he took a few steps out of her reach. At her questioning expression, he finally responded.

"I'd rather you kept your _hands_," he glanced at her lips as though struggling internally, "and your _mouth_, to yourself."

She ignored the pain she was sure emanated from her heart, trying hard to understand the reason for his rejection of her. His words had been delivered with a calm certainty, but the tears in his eyes betrayed him.

"Why? Tell me what's wrong," she pressed, only to see him revert to silence. He must be able to see how distressed his behaviour was making her feel, and she wasn't about to give up on her answers yet. "Nikola, I need to talk to you. Something isn't right with me. It hasn't been since I collapsed, and I really need your support right now, please, whatever it is-"

"If you need someone to talk to I'm sure _Johnny_ will be more than happy to oblige."

Confusion was evident on her face, and he could see her desperately trying to put two and two together.

He let out a despairing laugh.

"Really? You _really_ need me to elaborate? I saw you, Helen. I saw him kiss you, and you kissed him right back."

Her face fell, and realisation struck her that he may refuse to understand. He may refuse to accept her explanations, no matter how justified she had felt when John had requested such an intimate goodbye favour.

He could see the fear in her features, tears in her eyes matching the ones that had been in his for the most of the day. Without hearing an explanation, he knew she wasn't betraying him. He knew she wouldn't do that. But it only eased his mood a little, so he waited to hear her explanation anyway.

"It was closure, Nikola." When he broke their gaze she started to panic. "Please don't do this, I can't lose you,"

"So you're telling me he hasn't won you over? That he hasn't destroyed everything we had?" he closed his eyes for a moment, quietly adding, "...if we even really had it to begin with."

"He hasn't destroyed this," a sob escaped, making him drag his gaze back up to her. "Please don't let him destroy this; it was just closure, honestly. It's you that I love, you that I need, Nikola. Nobody else. He understands that now."

She felt pained further when he seemed unaffected by her plea.

"You should go inside,"

He felt a pang of guilt at being so dismissive, when she so obviously needed him to understand, so obviously loved him as she had confessed. But all he could see in his minds eye was John kissing her, and her allowing it. He didn't care for context, not now at least. He needed to be alone for a while longer yet.

"I'm not leaving you here, not like this. If you don't want me near you for a while then, fine, but don't stay out here."

He turned swiftly, heading inside without a single glance back.

Helen couldn't repress the devastation and hurt that had quickly overtaken her. It was crippling, how a single decision might have destroyed what she had found with Nikola, destroyed something she had denied herself for so long, something she had only had for the briefest, sweetest moment in time.


	3. Chapter 3

As always, thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews :)

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**Chapter 3**

Will had seen them, and whilst he didn't know what had happened to cause her falling out with Nikola, he felt certain she could do with a friend just then.

He grabbed his jacket and her long coat, and headed outside to her shaking form as she knelt pathetically on the gravel without single thought for how she might appear.

For one blissful second, she thought the hands wrapping her coat around her might have been Nikola; but she knew his touch anywhere, and quickly realised that the comfort was coming from Will. She opened her eyes and met his, allowing him to silently pull her to her feet and guide her inside.

Any hopes he wouldn't see her tears for the rain, were in vain. He was far from stupid; but she was at least grateful he wasn't pushing her to talk about it.

He set her down on the sofa, bringing her some tea and sitting quietly beside her till she felt a little more soothed.

When she finished her tea, he got up to clear the cup away, and she reached out to grasp his hands. When he looked down at her, she offered him a small smile of appreciation.

"Thankyou, Will,"

He ran his eyes assessingly over her frame.

The shaking had stopped.

Her hair was nearly dry.

Her expression was less pained.

"You're welcome," he replied simply, giving her hand a returning squeeze, and missing the contact as she dropped her hand back to her lap. "You should get some rest," he encouraged. "Whatever it is, it'll sort itself out. He's besotted with you."

She gave him a small nod, but he sensed she had no intentions of sleeping just yet.

.

Nikola wasn't having any better luck in getting to sleep. He was overreacting and he knew it, because the idea she might leave him to be with John again was the most terrifying thing he could imagine. And there was no denying the sincerity of her words, and her reason. At least she hadn't denied it, although he wondered if he ever would have found out if he hadn't witnessed their kiss.

He gently knocked on the bedroom door, but received no response. He found it unlocked, heading inside but seeing she wasn't in bed. He then worried she was still outside, heading to the nearest window but thankfully not seeing her.

When he did find her, she was snoozing on the sofa in her office. He let out a quiet sigh, moving over to her and gently stroking her cheek. He slipped his arms underneath her, and carried her to her bedroom.

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As he lay her down on the bed, he carefully moved her hair away from her face.

"Niko," she whispered, turning into his touch. Her tone was heartbreakingly vulnerable in her half-sleep.

"It's okay, I'm here," he whispered, gently soothing her with another caress as he moved to lay down beside her.

"Don't leave me," she appealed, reaching for him and snuggling into his side.

"I'm not going anywhere."

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They'd only been lay there perhaps an hour, and Nikola had been content just to hold her, no longer caring for his own sleep. But she'd properly woken up now. He could tell by the tension in her muscles. She shifted in his embrace, turning to face him more, and tentatively tracing his jaw line with the back of her hand.

"I love you Nikola, never doubt that,"

"I won't."

"Promise me?"

Nikola opened his eyes to meet her gaze, noticing she seemed tearful.

"I promise, I'll never doubt it again."

She closed the space between them to kiss him with a desperation that peaked his concern.

"Hey," he pulled back, seeing tears escaping her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing,"

"Helen, don't, don't cry. We're okay. I'm sorry, I was an ass. But we're okay now."

He hoped she saw his sincerity.

She blinked her tears away and moved to kiss him again, one hand moving behind his head to stop him breaking away again. But she was trembling now, and there was no point trying to deny it any longer. She let out a sob, taking a breath and moving impossibly closer to him, winding every limb around him and crushing him to her own body.

"Talk to me," he pleaded, trying to soothe her as she cried into his neck. Ashley's recent brush with death aside, Helen Magnus never broke down like this. Not even in front of _him_.

"You've no idea Nikola, how scared I was. That you might not understand. That you might… you might leave me. I couldn't cope with the thought of losing you over something so, _so_ stupid,"

It seemed strange that the tables should be turned, that it should be _her_ so desperate for _him_ to never leave. So desperate for his promises of his devotion.

"You haven't lost me. That will _never_ happen." He wiped her tears away, noticing she still didn't look convinced. "But don't think I have no idea how scared you were. The _only _thing that scares me is the thought of you leaving me. It'd kill me if you- if you went back to him. How do you think I felt when I saw you with him?"

"I know, I'm sorry. Just don't leave me," she whispered.

"It will never happen." He wiped her tears away, continuing to soothe her as her trembling calmed down.

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He couldn't help feeling like her emotional state wasn't only due to their recent falling out though, and when he was sure she was feeling reassured he decided to probe her about it.

"You said you wanted to talk to me. That you hadn't felt right since you collapsed?"

"I don't know how to explain it."

"Try,"

She sat up and studied him for a moment.

"I feel different. I don't feel like me. I feel… off balance. Everything seems more… intense."

"Intense?"

"How many times have you seen me cry Nikola? You could count them on one hand and we've known each other for over a century."

"You don't have to hide anything from me, Helen."

"But it's like I _can't_- like I'm not in control." She sighed with exasperation. "I can't explain it. I haven't felt right since Anya left. And I feel so exhausted. All the time."

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Anya.

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Nikola closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. Then he looked at her again and opened his arms out towards her.

"Lay down."

Although confused at his response, she obliged.

"Nikola?"

"I know you haven't been sleeping well."

She nodded slightly.

"That's not entirely unusual for me."

"No, but you're not even letting yourself relax. We can work on that first."

"Then what?"

"Leave it with me. I'll think of something."


	4. Chapter 4

Hey all. Thanks for the reviews! Apologies I didn't update last week, I was visiting relatives and didn't get the opportunity to come online. To make up for it, I intend to post chapter 5 in the next few days ;)

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**Chapter 4**

Ashley landed with a thud as John swiped her legs from beneath her in one swift motion.

"Seriously!" she groaned. "What's with you today?"

He took a calming breath and offered her a hand up.

"I'm sorry Ashley, I'm only being hard on you so you can improve."

"_Hard_ on me?" she got to her feet and shot him an incredulous look. "You're in a cranky-assed mood and you're playing dirty."

Her glare wasn't dissimilar to one he'd gained from her mother before now. It was a glare that meant business.

He had to diffuse the situation, and quickly.

"That's what it's going to be, Ashley. Playing dirty. Nobody is going to go easy on you when it comes down to it. There are no rules in the real world. If you can get a cheap shot in, you damn well will. Surely I don't have to remind you of that fact?"

Despite her annoyance, she backed down, and started to circle him. His eyes tracked her, waiting for her next move, anticipating it.

"I guess you have a point. But regardless of the facts, you're angry about _something_."

She swung one leg round and he caught her ankle and twisted, throwing her back to the ground.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well…" she considered him, "when _I'm_ angry I fight better."

She jumped back to her feet and took another swipe at him. He blocked her with ease and let out a chuckle.

"Debatable." He teased. "You have to remember, whilst anger may be beneficial in the short term, in the long term it makes people lose control… lose _focus_."

"Apparently not for you. I haven't got within an inch of you for the last three hours."

He held up his hands, gesturing they call it a day.

"Maybe you're tired."

Despite being reluctant to admit it, she had been pushing herself pretty hard. A break wasn't a bad idea.

She reached for her water bottle and took a long drink, then focused on him again.

"You gonna tell me what's wrong?"

He was surprised at her concern. He knew they'd become closer over the past few weeks, but he never expected them to bond so quickly. Nevertheless, he couldn't tell her the real reason for his anger, so he would offer her the next best thing.

He moved to perch on the edge of a nearby table, and she moved with only slight hesitation towards him, perching beside him and putting the lid back on her water bottle.

"I'm angry that I can no longer teleport."

"It's been weeks. You telling me you only just got angry about that?"

He nodded.

"I guess I've been in denial. A part of me hoped my ability may return, given time."

"But you're better. Why would you want something back that made you go cuckoo?"

He offered her a genuine smile at her choice of words.

"Despite the side effects, it was an ability that could prove extremely useful. Best tactic I had for getting myself out of bother when there were no other options."

She tentatively reached to take his hand, unsure whether or not he would appreciate the gesture.

"Best tactic _I_ have is mom. If you get in any bother she'll help _you_ too."

"She always did anyway," he smiled warmly. "I just feel… _less_… than I was."

"You're not less. You're more." She assured him. "And… you're my _dad_." She averted her gaze, and he could see her sentiment was making her feel awkward. She'd never been one to enjoy talking about feelings, and he was certain it was ten times harder talking to him. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at her ability for forgiveness, but then he supposed she didn't know the half of it about the crimes he had committed over his life time.

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Henry twirled his chair around again. He was bored. He'd been watching the same screens all morning, but then this was _his_ latest monitoring equipment, so he supposed it was only natural Magnus should expect him to watch it. The only problem was he had no clue quite _exactly_ what he was watching for. She'd simply told him he would know it when he saw it.

The coordinates he'd managed to find for her long sought after abnormal hadn't been entirely useless, but after over 3 years of searching he got the impression things were never going to pan out.

When they'd reached the location they'd found no evidence the abnormal had ever been there; but they'd talked to some of the locals – or rather Magnus had seeing as she'd been the only one who could speak their language, and she'd insisted their descriptions of the creature proved too accurate for her to ignore.

So they'd set up his latest tech, then headed back to the Sanctuary.

He twirled his chair around again for the seventeenth time, then a high pitched screech met his ears and his eyes darted back to the monitors.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"See, right there, that's definitely a limb of some kind." Henry tapped on the image on one of the screens.

"Hmmm, and it hasn't moved since?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "Whatever was happening, it was in serious distress."

Magnus visibly sagged.

"Maybe we should have stayed,"

She couldn't hide her disappointment. She'd been trying for so long to find this abnormal, she never considered she may only ever come across one that had died. But then, she didn't suppose she'd _wanted_ to consider that. She didn't like to think how many more years it might be before she happened across one of their kind again.

"Doc," Henry turned to face her with a sympathetic expression. "We couldn't have known. And even if we'd stayed that's not to say we could've done anything to help."

"No, I suppose not."

"You want me to get Ash to bring this one in?"

She smiled at his consideration. It was a long journey just to pick up a body.

"It's alright, I want to go."

He wondered at her change in expression. She seemed suddenly hopeful.

"You know something I don't?"

"I don't wish to tempt fate, but I have my suspicions about the cause of death. Could you inform Ashley and Will about the situation? I'd like to leave as soon as possible."

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"I know," Nikola sighed as he paced the room. "I agreed, remember? I just-"

Nikola stopped midsentence when he noticed Helen in the doorway. She had a bag with her and looked ready to go somewhere. She offered him a small smile, and he reminded himself he was on the phone.

"Uh, can I call you back?... thank you,"

He hung up and walked over to her.

"Who was that?"

He shifted awkwardly for a moment.

"Anya."

"How is she?"

"Good." He nodded, eyeing her attire. "Where are we going?" he quickly changed the subject.

"To retrieve a body."

"Ah, I'll go get-"

"You're staying here."

"With Druitt and the walking hairball?"

She grinned at his disdain.

"You'll be in charge." She offered, noticing him suddenly stand a little taller.

"Well, in that case, bon voyage. Bring me back something pretty."

She pecked him on the lips, then departed.

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John's attention on him was aggravating to say the least. Nikola had come to the library for a little peace and quiet, but John had seen him and decided he had nothing more pressing to do then sit and watch him for the past hour.

"Okay, I give up,"

John chuckled.

"I'm not making you feel nervous am I, Nikola?"

He ignored the teasing in his tone.

"I take it you want to talk to me about something?"

John stood up, taking something from his pocket and twirling it in his hands as he approached Nikola.

"I want to call a truce."

Nikola's face was a picture.

"And _I _want world domination but we can't all have what we want."

"I'm being sincere." John insisted, taking a last look at the picture of Helen inside the locket, then offering it to Nikola. "It's ridiculous that a woman could come between our friendship for so many years." He glanced at the locket. "I don't need this anymore. I thought you might like it."

Nikola couldn't help but wonder at John's motivations, but took the offered locket and glanced at the photo of Helen inside it.

"So that's it?"

"That's it." he nodded. "I'm only sticking around for Ashley's sake. Helen's made it quite clear how she feels about me. Maybe she never really loved me at all." He shrugged. "Either way, I'm tired of her games. You're welcome to her."

He offered his hand, wanting to shake on their truce.

Nikola eyed it with hesitation.

"We can gain more by being friends than we can enemies, Nikola."

"Maybe I _like _arguing with you, had you considered that?"

John chuckled.

"I'm sure we'll still have our disagreements."

Nikola considered him a little longer, then remembered Helen would appreciate if he accepted John's gesture.

He shook his hand firmly.

"As odd as this is," he retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and discretely wiped his hand. "Now that we're friends maybe I can teach you a thing or two. My intelligence really can benefit you."

"If you say so." John smiled, then excused himself.

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More soon :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was starting to get dark by the time they arrived at the location, but it was still light enough to see how much blood was surrounding the lower half of the abnormal. Will winced and reached out to touch the body. It was deathly cold.

"Well, it's definitely dead."

He stood back up as Helen reached them, and moved out of the way to scan the surrounding area.

She reached out to the creature herself, and it suddenly jerked and made a wheezing noise, making her retract her hand quickly.

"Oh-"

"Magnus? You okay?" He turned back to face her.

She moved to touch it again but nothing happened. It was still very dead.

"Uh, yes. Yes I'm fine, I just thought she-" she stopped mid-sentence. If she'd just hallucinated there was no justifiable reason for Will to know about that right now. "I'm fine."

Will gave her a curious look. He'd seen the look of confusion on her face only moments earlier, and he made a mental note to keep a closer eye on her.

.

As Henry and Ashley bagged the body and loaded it into the back of their rented jeep, Will moved back over to Helen who was stood staring into the tree line as she removed her surgical gloves.

"Any ideas what happened? Do you think it was attacked?"

She glanced sideways to acknowledge his presence, and then looked back towards the trees and foliage, shining her torch into them.

"Complications during childbirth." She said simply. "I had suspected as much, but I didn't want to get my hopes up."

"_Childbirth_?" He asked with disbelief.

"It's incredibly dangerous for these abnormal's to give birth. That she conceived at all is close to a miracle."

"Is that why they're so rare?"

"One of the reasons, yes."

"So, what, you think the father's still out here somewhere?"

She lowered the torch and turned to face Will properly with a small yawn.

"Unlikely. They're generally very solitary. It's the infant I'm concerned for."

"You think it survived?"

Helen nodded once, with a hopeful smile.

"It moved away from its mother. If it had the strength to do that, I have no doubt it survived. I wouldn't be surprised if the mother consciously chose to give birth near our monitoring equipment. She'll have known the risks, and her fear for her offspring's survival will have taken precedence."

"So, where do we start looking?"

"We don't. We wait. It's likely still in the area. It's too young to be as suspicious of us as it's mother would have been, so I'm hoping it will come to us out of curiosity."

"Okay. Should I go get a container?"

"Yes, please. This shouldn't take long."

.

The young abnormal was indeed still in the area, and had been watching them with fascination since they arrived. It waited till one of them was alone and tentatively crawled a little closer.

Helen's eyes darted towards the sound of movement, and she got her first glimpse of a live, infant, wind-skater. She flicked the torch off and slowly knelt down, hoping to appear less intimidating.

In an instant, the infant dashed over to her and moved swiftly around her a few times before settling in one spot, studying her torch with deep interest.

"Hello," she whispered softly, her movements slow and tentative. She was overwhelmed. She'd only ever seen drawings of this type of abnormal in her father's books, and had never dreamt she might truly manage to get so close to one as she was now. It didn't look quite like its mother, but that didn't surprise her.

After a few moments, it lost interest in the torch and turned it's attention to her, climbing onto her lap and moving its face closer to her hands. It picked up the scent of it's mother on her, but there was something else. Something very comforting.

It would stay with her until it had grown stronger and faster.

Helen gently moved to hold onto the infant, and stood up when it wrapped all its limbs around her and snuggled close.

"Will?" she called softly.

"Yep, I'm here," He opened the container as she came closer with the abnormal clinging onto her. "Is that normal behaviour?"

Magnus shook her head.

"Not at all. As I said, it's too young to be wary of us, and that's an opportunity we couldn't miss." She coaxed it inside. "I'd like to travel through the night to get back to the Sanctuary if you don't mind. I don't want to keep her in here for any longer than necessary."

"Sure."

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More soon :)


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter is one of the reasons I rated this story 'T' - some suggestive content but nothing explicit ;) Hope you enjoy and please review if you have the time!

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**Chapter 7**

Nikola looked up from the paper he was reading to see Will enter the room.

"Finally, you're back."

"I didn't know you'd miss me so much."

"Oh, you've grown a sense of humour. It's about time." Nikola grinned. "But it's Helen I've missed. Is she far behind you?"

"She's settling in our newest resident."

"I thought our newest resident was a _carcass_?"

"Yeah. But it gave birth first."

"Ah."

Will moved over to the kettle and grabbed some cups to make some tea. He was usually more of a coffee person, but he'd drank way too much of it over the last two days so thought it might be sensible to have tea for a change. He supposed he should be polite and make Nikola one too.

As he poured them, he heard Nikola chuckle.

"I didn't realise how domesticated you were."

"Look, if you don't want it,"

"I didn't say that." He reached for his drink, cradling it in his hands and waiting for Will to sit down. "Whilst you're here..."

"Something on your mind?"

He nodded, once.

"Druitt. He's been behaving _oddly_. At least, more so than usual."

"And you're telling me because…"

"Well for one, I don't wish to worry Helen with it. Besides that, I heard you're good at… talking… to people. You know. With psychological issues."

"Oh. Right, sure. I can talk to him."

Nikola pulled the locket out of his jacket and held it out to Will.

"You see this?"

Will opened it and smiled at the picture of Magnus inside.

"Magnus, yeah, didn't she give him this?"

"When they were courting. He's always treasured it, but for some reason he doesn't want it anymore. And on top of that he's trying to be friends with me."

"Maybe he just wants to make amends."

Nikola scoffed.

"Don't be naïve. Despite his unusual pleasantness towards me, he also seems a little… bitter, with Helen. It's most unusual for him. Something just doesn't seem right."

Will nodded acknowledgment, then handed the locket back.

"It's a nice picture of her."

"Oh I have better ones." Nikola smiled, pulling his mobile phone out to look through his personal photos. "Here look at- oh- not this one it's a little indecent." He smirked to himself, quickly pulling the phone back before Will could look at the screen. His eyes twinkled as he scrolled through his photos. "As is that one…. that one… oh and _that_ one… I'd forgotten about that." He grinned.

Will cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable.

"I get the idea."

"What are you up to now Nikola?" Helen asked as she entered the room. Nikola put his phone away and stood to greet her.

"Helen," he smiled, then gave her a particularly curious gaze. "Where's my _something pretty_ you promised to bring me back?"

"I'm right here," she said with a grin.

Will groaned. "Nikola's arrogance is rubbing off on you Magnus."

She chuckled.

"Are you saying I'm not pretty, Will?"

"Uh, no! Not at all. Of course you're pretty. Very pretty, in fact," he smiled awkwardly.

Helen turned her attention back to Nikola with a knowing gaze.

"I thought I might go for a lay down."

"I'm just gonna…" Will gestured to the doorway, getting up with his tea and making a quick exit.

"I think we embarrassed him." Nikola teased.

"Poor thing."

"So, about that lay down. I'm invited, yes?"

"Yes. But… finish your tea first."

"Now I'm _really_ intrigued."

.

Nikola was sure he'd never drank a cup of tea quite so quickly, wondering what she had planned for him. He made his way to her room, positive the lift was moving a lot slower than it usually did.

When he arrived at her door he knocked gently.

"Let yourself in," she called.

He opened the door slowly, the room lit only by candles, and the most inviting scent – and scene – awaiting him. Helen had cuffed her wrists to the bed head, and lay sprawled in her underwear in the middle of the mattress. He had joked about her being tied up for him more than once, but never expected her to humour this particular fantasy.

She lay in such a submissive pose, looking up at him from beneath her lashes in a way he found extremely arousing.

She felt herself blush under his apparent approval, keeping her eyes locked on his.

"You should probably lock the door."

"I'm _so_ lucky." He teased, quickly obeying her order.

"So," she smiled warmly, arching her back ever so slightly, silently beckoning him over. "You like your present?"

"Oh… yes…."

He approached her slowly, sitting beside her and moving to press a kiss to the inside of her knee. He could hear her heart beating ever so slightly faster, the anticipation clear with every intake of breath as he moved his mouth in a leisurely fashion up the inside of her thigh.

"Are your intentions to make me suffer, Mr Tesla?" she flirted, as he moved liked a predator further up her body.

"Definitely, Miss Magnus," he whispered. She could feel his smirk, his warm breath now at the side of her neck. He gently nipped at her with his teeth, just enough to leave a mark, and when she let out a quiet mew of pleasure at the intimate gesture, his fangs protruded and his nails grew.

He kissed her neck softly, as one hand moved to her corset to slice cleanly through the material just far enough for it to fall open, but not so far he caught her skin.

"Niko," she reprimanded him.

"You love it," he grinned at her.

"It was expensive."

"I'll buy you another." He promised, as he ever so carefully trailed the same nail down the front of her to the pesky piece of material between her legs. "These need to go."

He shifted position, kissing down her stomach and taking the hem of her underwear in his teeth.

"Niko," she warned, her thighs falling further open for him of their own accord.

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Thanks for reading :)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Apologies for not updating for a while, I had my graduation to prepare for and life became a little hectic! I got a 2:1 =) And now I can devote more time to my writing again, so updates will become much more frequent. I'm hoping to have this story completed before Season 4. As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think if you have the time!

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**Chapter 8**

"Hey, I was hoping to find you."

Druitt pulled his attention away from the window sill to regard Will.

"Oh?"

"I was concerned."

"Concerned? For me?" he seemed amused.

Will moved to join him by the window, noticing now a photo of Helen and Nikola had been framed and set on display. He picked it up to give it a proper look. It must have been taken recently.

"It can't be easy. There's so much history between you guys." He started, setting the photo back down on the middle of the sill and straightening it out. "Tesla said you'd called a truce with him?"

John ground his teeth for a moment.

"Helen's always been the one between our friendship. She's been the problem all along." Will paid close attention to his expression and body language. Tesla had been right, there did seem to be contempt for her under the surface of his demeanour. "I've been blinded by her allure for too many years." He continued. "The only good thing to come from all of this is Ashley."

A genuine smile crept onto his face then. Will mentally stored away his obvious bitterness towards Helen, treading more carefully with his next question.

"And how about losing your ability to teleport? You still feeling… okay?"

John let out a laugh and glanced up at him.

"Are you asking if I've had any _murderous_ impulses?"

"Well," Will shifted awkwardly. "Yeah."

John just chuckled again, and his gaze returned to the photo.

"Dr Zimmerman, do you ever think about things you're not supposed to? About things that you know aren't right?"

Will's expression softened.

"You still love her, don't you?"

"You haven't answered my question."

Will realised John wasn't about to admit it, but the bitterness must have stemmed from her choosing Tesla this time round.

He had no idea what was _really_ going on in John's mind. If he had, John was sure the protégé wouldn't be standing quite so close.

"Yes, I do. I think everyone does… but the thing that defines us is whether or not we act on those thoughts."

"Since I became… _me_… again, I can't help thinking about the things I've done… in the past. I'm ashamed of them, and… they plague me. Images. Thoughts. Feelings." He hesitated, focusing on Helen and feeling an indescribable urge rush within him. "My dreams disturb me." He confessed.

"You wanna… talk about any of those things?"

He contemplated the offer for a moment. Perhaps he should speak to Will about this… but then he would no doubt report everything that was said to Helen, and he had no desire to rouse her suspicion.

He felt driven by a desire not to disappoint his daughter.

"No. There's nothing to talk about."

"Well, maybe you could talk to Magnus?"

John felt his heart start to race at the suggestion. He'd already said way too much to the ever observant young man.

"No mean's _no_, William; and that means I don't expect you to voice my concerns to Helen either. It's none of her business."

He turned quickly, forcing Will to follow after him.

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"You're a beautiful creature," Nikola whispered, snaking his leg between hers and wrapping both arms around her as he pressed his face into the side of her neck.

"I'm a _creature_, am I?"

She tilted her head to one side to give him more access.

"Oh, yes." She felt his teeth nipping her neck ever so gently, such an intimate gesture. She knew why he was so obsessed with this area. That she should trust him so fully, a _vampire_, to run his teeth over the sensitive skin. That she should trust him never to give into the temptation to sink them in; although she had often fantasised about him doing so. Just for a moment or two. "A very rare creature, a danger to any man it comes across."

She chuckled.

"Why a danger?"

"Because they all fall helplessly in love with her. And once a man is in love, there's really no hope for him at all."

.

"Druitt, wait,"

"I have better things to be doing with my time." he snapped without even looking back.

"Look, if you don't want Magnus to know then that's fine, but at least talk to _me_ about this?"

John could feel his anxiety levels increasing.

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm not going to do anything about it."

"I never said you were, but maybe I can help you come to terms with things? Help you deal with your past and concentrate on where you are _now_, and how things are better?"

John railed in his temper, slowing down and sighing as he turned to face Will again.

"I appreciate your concern, honestly." He tried to placate him. "But we're not of the same time, you and I, William. I've never had a psychologist on _speed-dial_ and I never intend to. I shall deal with my feelings on my own, as I always have."

"At least agree to speak to me if you find that you can't?"

He hesitated, then gave a small nod.

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More soon =)


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